Saab History

Saab Automobile has been a leader in innovative thinking through their technologies ever since their early beginnings back in 1947.

Although things have been tough for them sales wise over the past few years, they will finally begin to see some strong new product introductions by the fall of 2009, but is it too late?

I want to begin with the idea of the Saab 9-1 / Saab 9-X BioHybrid because as Steve Shannon pointed out at the Saturday night dinner at the recent 2008 Saab Owners Convention, it was the first concept evidently built on a “compact premium” platform, so it can be produced as-is and is not a one-off like the prior concept cars, so why the delays and uncertainty? The need is certainly there so just build it!

Secondly, we have the Saab 9-3 XC or Cross-Combi, produced in Trollhättan, Sweden, that has been rumored to be debuting this fall as a direct competitor to the Audi Quattro, Volvo XC and Subaru Forrester. The interesting piece about this segment is that Saab should have had this back in 2002, but the project was halted due to GM at the time, stopping all product development in order to reel in costs.

The Saab 9-4x, the successor to the 9-7x, will be coming by the fall of 2009, produced in Mexico for the North American market as a cross-over as we’ve seen in the recent production photograph, very close to the concept vehicle shown in January this year, however that’s all we know at this point. I was specifically told at the 9-4x BioPower concept car’s launch in Detroit, that it will come with a turbocharged 4-cylinder and be touted as the halo vehicle for E-85 in North America. Although there’s been much speculation in the media of this vehicle coming in with a non turbo larger engine, I am optimistic that what I was told couldn’t be anything other than the truth and that we’ll see a 4-cylinder turbocharged crossover when it debuts. If anything other than that is actually produced, what’s the point, really?

Lastly, we have the new 9-5, shown as a rough design sketch also at the 2008 Saab Owners Convention, it also appears to be debuting just after the Saab 9-4x. It should be interesting to see what becomes of this launch because as old as the current 9-5 is, (10 years), this model to be produced at a GM Europe factory in Germany, must deliver as sales for the current 9-5 are totally flat. I worry that the idea of a larger premium sedan for Saab is another pointless exercise at this time as they should be focusing on smaller vehicles, which brings me to my last point.

There Saab Automobile is, with three out of four products set for launch by the fourth quarter of next year. So here’s the question, as Saab has traditionally been a company all about small “rightsized” vehicles, why wouldn’t the smaller premium compact segment be introduced prior to the 9-3 XC, 9-4X and New 9-5?

If GM is committed to seeing the Saab Automobile brand succeed, why not introduce a vehicle that is actually in demand? I question the need for more gas guzzling large vehicles such as crossovers and premium sedans.

I am also deeply concerned that these three vehicles although nice, won’t significantly contribute to turning the sales around for Saab Automobile as the 600 pound gorilla in the corner of the room (a small premium “rightsized” hatchback) would.

Having read this, what are your thoughts? I have included a poll below to see what you think Saab should focus on first, so let’s see what the results show over time.

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Photo Credit: Saab Automobile & Saab History respectively

Saab Automobile introduced the Saab 900 Turbo 16 Aero which was the prelude and prototype to the Special Performance Group (SPG), at the Brussels Motor Show in Belgium in 1984. The Saab 900 Turbo 16 Aero known in Europe or Saab 900 SPG Prototype in the U.S. came equipped with a new engine which marked the 3rd generation Turbo and had 175 horsepower.

The Saab 900 Turbo 16 Aero or SPG Prototype arrived with a unique “Mother of Pearl” exterior paint job on the body and skirts and a Colorado red leather interior and same colored steering wheel and dash and A-pillars, body colored steer. In addition, the notable aerodynamic styling was first introduced in this vehicle known as an aerodynamic skirt kit, rear whale-tail spoiler, vent covers all also painted in “Mother of Peark” paint, combined with unique three-pronged wheels that continued throughout all SPG models up until 1991.

The photo above is the European version of the vehicle, however the photograph in color recently taken at the 2008 Saab Owners Convention indicates the U.S. spec. Saab 900 SPG Prototype complete with the whale-tail, and vent covers.

 
The folks at GM Next, have provided Saab History another installment from their coverage at the recent 2008 Saab Owners Convention.
 
In this film, they interview a number of the Saab Enthusiasts that attended the convention including one person’s high performance 9-3 Viggen and even Jon Williams, again, after being interviewed at the 2007 Saab Festival in Sweden.
 
A great segment showing true Saab Enthusiasts enjoying the camraderie of other enthusiats with their Saabs, of all ages.
 
Thanks to Gm Next for providing this footage once again to Saab History.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile USA

The Saab USA Heritage Collection has recently acquired a pristine 1999 Saab 9-3 Viggen in Lightening Blue from a private sale in Florida with less than 500 miles on the odometer.

The first showing of this acquisition took place at the recent 2008 Saab Owners Convention in Devens, Massachusetts from August 21st through the 24th, 2008.

It is great to see the Saab USA Heritage Collection growing and growing! If you are interested in checking out the rest of the Saab USA Heritage Collection, please click on this link to scroll through them all!

Site sponsor, Saab USA Parts, is offering SID repair services for the following, at significantly discounted prices:

If you are tired of reading a display that is no longer understandable, please consider getting it repaired opposed to replaced. Repairing fixes the actual problem, opposed to replacing it which simply has a much higher cost to you and does not actually fix the problem, in the long run.

These are the following models that have functioning Saab Information Displays or SIDS. If you find you are in this situation, please contact Shaw Saab to get yours repaired!

They even have a lifetime warranty, where most other repair services offer only 30 days!

Here are the details:

Saab Information Display Remanufacturing Service

Send us your Saab Information Display to be remanufactured. The service will repair the missing or partial display of characters. The service will come with a lifetime warranty on the repair performed. See below for the units we can currently repair. Shipping Instructions below.

These are the units we can repair
12806118 99-02+03CV 9-3 (old# 5038195,5260195,5263215)
12806119 99-02+03CV 9-3 (old# 5038203,5260203,5263223)
12806123 2003 9-5 (old# 5371380)
12806124 2002 9-5 (old# 5263264)
12806125 99-01 9-5 (old# 5038187,5260187,5263249)
4617338 94-98 900 (old# 4711933)
4617320 94-98 900 (old# 4711925)

Removal Instructions:
1) Utilizing a plastic wedge (metal tools could damage dash facia) work the display outward from each side. Or, remove the radio unit and press it out from behind.
2) Disconnect the display unit connector
3) Ship it to us, see Shipping Instructions below

Shipping Instructions:
1) Purchase this service below.
2) Print out copy of the invoice.
3) Remove Saab Information Display from your Saab.
4) Ship the display along with a copy of the invoice to our address.

Saab USA Parts
22 Pond Street , Route 228
Norwell , MA 02061

Note: Repair generally takes 7-10 business days once we receive the unit.

Photo & Video Credits: Saab Automobile

The Saab 9-3 “Viggen” was derived from the SAAB JA-37 Viggen jet fighter. Viggen means The Thunderbolt in Swedish, derived from the Norse god Thor’s warhammer Mjölner.

As we know, the 1999 Saab 9-3 Viggen began as the Saab 900 Concept Coupe in 1995.

It took a whole four years later for the engineering of that concept coupe to be unveiled to the public at the the New York Auto Show in March of 1999.

Peter Leonard, leader of Saab’s SVO team said that “we wanted to give the 9-3 Viggen a strong individuality, a personality of its own that was evident in everything from the external styling to the instrumentation. In addition, the car had to deliver the comfort and feel of driving a high-performance car. It was a design challenge that we relished.”

The Saab 9-3 Viggens drag co-efficient was 0.31, and the feel both inside and out of an aircraft cockpit was evident.

The first model year MY1999 for the Saab Viggen and its body continued to be manufactured at Saab’s factory in Trollhattan, Sweden, then shipped in a climate controlled, sealed container to Uusikaupunki, Finland for painting and final assembly at the Valmet Automotive plant.

The painting of the first two years of the Saab 9-3 Viggen, were appropriately colored in “lightening blue”, paying homage to the significance of the “thunderbolt” name.

That same year, the Saab Viggen Flight Academy was created in Road Atlanta, near Saab Automobile USA’s former headquarters in Norcross, Georgia.

The Saab 9-3 Viggen Coupe went on sale with only 400 distributed to Saab dealerships in May of 1999.

The next year, Model Year 2000 Saab 9-3 Viggen Convertible and 5-door versions arrived in showrooms during the fall of the same year. Only a limited number of 2,500 Saab 9-3 Viggen models were initially produced annually for a global market.

The Saab 9-3 Viggen model continued until model year 2002, when it ended due to the production of the 9-3 hatchback body style ending.

The Saab 900 Concept Coupe was the prototype for the Saab 9-3 Viggen as we know it back in 1995, a full four years prior to the public seeing it at auto shows and also available in dealerships around the world.

The Viggen has to be without question the best example of a spiritual successor to one of SAAB’s aircraft, the SAAB JA-37 Viggen, given that it was in name and theory 100% “born from jets”.

Here is the original press release in full outlining the specifications beginning with a video:

For Immediate Release Contact: Elke Martin Kevin Smith

1999 SAAB 9-3 VIGGEN — SUMMARY

SAAB LAUNCHES ALL-NEW, LIMITED EDITION 9-3 VIGGEN FOR ENTHUSIASTS WITH A PASSION FOR TURBO POWER

Aircraft-inspired Viggen targets Saab enthusiasts with a strong taste for torque Norcross, GA - Saab made its U.S. debut at the New York Auto Show in the spring of 1956. It was there that Saab exhibited its first high performance sports car—the Sonett Super Sport prototype, a race-bred Saab still revered by Saab enthusiasts today. Since then, Saab has continued to develop limited edition performance legends, cars like the aerodynamic 900 Turbo SPG and 9000 Aero, which combined full-boost turbo engines, sport suspension and modlhcations with an aggressive stance.
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